Pain Relief – A major health benefit of infrared sauna is in the area of reduction of pain in muscles and joints. Hyperthermia or heat therapy helps to reduce pain, inflammation and edema by acting on nerve endings as well as encouraging production of endorphins, which act as natural analgesics. Stimulating the dilation of peripheral blood vessels, brings relief to muscles and speeds the healing of soft tissue injuries. Increased blood circulation carries off metabolic waste products and delivers oxygen rich blood to depleted muscles to speed up the body’s natural recovery process. Infrared therapy has been successfully used to reduce pain from a variety of conditions including whiplash, arthritis, bursitis, sciatica, back pain, neuritis, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, migraines, gout and chronic muscle spasms. “Much of the stiffness, aches and soreness that comes with aging is reduced or eliminated.” -USA Clinical Study. “Whole body far infrared heat relieved pain from burns and decreased healing time with less scarring.” -Japanese Clinical Study.

Strengthens Cardiovascular System – As the body increases sweat production to cool itself, the heart pumps blood at a greater rate boosting circulation. Heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate increase, while blood pressure drops for improved cardiovascular fitness. If your blood pressure is already low, you will find through using the FIR sauna on a regular basis that it has a regulating effect on the blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic heart studies of end congestive heart failure patients showed improvement within three weeks. A study was published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2001, to determine whether infrared sauna therapy improves blood vessel function in patients with risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking. Patients were treated in a FIR sauna for 15 minutes, once a day, for 2 weeks. Results: significantly lowered blood pressure, weight loss, lowered blood sugar, significantly increased blood flow, lowered cholesterol and lowered triglycerides.This suggests a preventive role for sauna use for arteriosclerosis.

Weight Loss and Cellulite

In a 30 minute session, it is possible to burn from 600 to 2000 calories depending on your size and muscle mass. Toxins stored in fat are decreased making it easier for weight loss. While the weight of water loss can be regained by rehydraton, the calories consumed will not be. Cellulite is a gel-like substance made up of fat, water and wastes which are trapped in pockets below the skin. The intense sweating in regular FIR sessions helps clear this form of unwanted debris. The sauna is a great way for people that don’t like to, or are not able to exercise, to lose weight and have a passive cardio. “Far infrared therapy created weight loss through sweating, the energy expended to produce sweating and through direct excretion of fat.” -Japanese Clinical Study

Skin Care

Profuse sweating achieved carries off deeply embedded impurities and dead skin cells leaving the skin immaculately clean. Increased circulation draws the skin’s own natural oils and nutrients to the surface. This results in improved texture, skin tone and elasticity. Regular FIR sauna users are said to have more youthful skin that “glows.” People with chronic skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, rosacea will benefit from regular sessions. Fully formed scars, even keloids, can be gradually softened. Burns and other wounds or incisions may heal with significantly reduced scarring.

Reduces Stress and Fatigue

Perhaps the most immediate relief FIR offers is simple relaxation, as it melts away the stresses and tensions of urban life. Due to the many physiological effects of heat therapy, people feel less stressed and report being able to sleep better after their sauna sessions. A sauna session relaxes muscles, circulates blood, stimulates the heart and releases endorphins, providing a feeling of invigoration and well being.

Cancer

“Now we have the proof that it is the steady, silent accumulation of chemicals and toxins over a lifetime that produces most diseases, including cancer. If we get these ubiquitously unavoidable toxic chemicals out of the body, we can reverse and even cure the most hopeless diseases. Since the far infrared sauna is the safest, most efficacious and economical way to depurate stored toxins, this makes it a household necessity.” – Dr. Sherry Rogers, MD, ABEM, ABFP “…in addition, cancer cells do not like hyperthermia (heat) or high oxygen content, both of which are provided by the far infrared sauna, which also boosts the immune system.” – Dr T. Alibhai, ND, BSc Jim Chan, ND has treated about 5,000 cancer patients. He explains that far infrared therapy has the ability to break up the protective rings around harmful molecules in the body so they’re no longer cancer-causing. It also weakens the bonds between toxins and human tissues, so stored toxins can be flushed out of the system faster and in greater quantities through the skin (via sweating), liver and bowels. Cancer cannot survive in an environment of temperatures more than 42C (107.6F). In addition to its detoxifying effects, FIR heat actually helps kill cancer cells, increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reduce the side-effects of conventional therapies. At the same time, it boosts the body’s regenerative abilities.

Detoxify Your Body

The effect of detoxification is one of the most interesting and wide-ranging benefits of FIR therapy. The deep penetrating infrared heat causes chemicals such as potentially carcinogenic heavy metals, pesticides, PCB’s, alcohol, nicotine, sodium, ammonia, uric acid, cholesterol and fat-soluble chemicals to be released from the fat cells and tissues into the lymph fluid. Since sweat is made from the lymph fluid, toxins present will exit the body through the sweat. By taking this detoxifying load off your liver and kidneys, even chronically ill people will experience a significant benefit. One study found that the sweat formed in conventional saunas is 97 percent water. In FIR saunas, only 80 percent of the sweat is composed of water, the remaining 20 percent consists of toxins, poisons and waste.